Printing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing device that can easily determine whether a nail is arranged at a suitable position. The printing device (1) comprises: a finger placement unit having a nail placement platform for placing the front end of a nail to be printed, and placing a finger corresponding to the nail; at least one imaging unit for acquiring an image from a first direction and an image from a second direction; and a recognition unit, which is provided on one side of the nail placement platform so that the finger does not appear in the image from the first direction but appears in the image from the second direction, and is used for detecting the position of the nail.

Description

[0001] References to related applications

[0002] The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-120316 filed on July 14, 2020, and all the contents of the basic application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a printing device. Background Art

[0004] Conventionally, there is known a printing device (nail printing device) for printing a nail design on a nail of a finger or the like.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing device that prints a nail design on a nail using an inkjet method.

[0006] Just use the printing device to print nails and you can easily enjoy beautiful nails.

[0007] Prior art literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-534083

[0010] However, when using a printing device to print on a nail, if the print head and the nail are too close, they will interfere with each other, thereby possibly damaging the surface of the nail or the print head. On the other hand, if the print head and the nail are too far apart, it becomes difficult to perform high-definition printing.

[0011] For this purpose, the nail needs to be arranged so that the distance between the print head and the nail is within a certain allowable range.

[0012] However, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to know whether the nail is arranged in a proper position. Summary of the invention

[0013] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has the advantage of providing a printing device that can easily determine whether a nail is arranged at an appropriate position.

[0014] The present invention provides a printing device, characterized in that it comprises: a finger loading section, which has a nail loading platform on which the front end portion of a nail of a printing object is placed, and on which a finger corresponding to the nail is loaded; at least one shooting unit, which obtains an image from a first direction and an image from a second direction; and an identification section, which is arranged on one surface of the nail loading platform so that it does not appear in the image from the first direction but appears in the image from the second direction, and is used for detecting the position of the nail.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether a nail is arranged at an appropriate position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a printing device and a terminal device cooperating therewith in this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of main parts showing the main parts structure of the finger holding part and its surroundings provided in the printing device of this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the main parts of the finger holding portion and its surroundings as seen from the upper left diagonally direction.

[0020] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a nail image display screen displayed on the display unit.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a plan view showing a modified example of a mirror provided in a printing device.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a plan view showing a modified example of a mirror provided in a printing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] refer to Figures 1 to 4 An embodiment of the printing device according to the present invention will be described.

[0024] In addition, various limitations which are technically preferred for carrying out the present invention are added to the embodiments described below, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrations.

[0025] In addition, in the following embodiments, a printing device is used as an example to illustrate a printing device that uses the nails of the fingers of the hand as the printing object for printing, but the printing object of the printing device in the present invention is not limited to the nails of the fingers of the hand. For example, the nails of the fingers (toes) of the feet can also be used as the printing object.

[0026] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printing device and the terminal device 7 cooperating therewith in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the case where the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 cooperate to print on the nail T is exemplified.

[0027] The terminal device 7 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone. In addition, the terminal device 7 is not limited to a smartphone. For example, it may be a tablet-type personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), a notebook-type PC, a stand-alone PC, a terminal device for gaming, etc.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the terminal device 7 of this embodiment includes a communication unit (not shown) for transmitting and receiving data between the operation unit 71, the display unit 72 and the printing device, a control device (not shown) and the like.

[0029] The operation unit 71 is, for example, various operation buttons, and various inputs, settings, etc. are performed in accordance with the user's operation. When the operation unit 71 is operated, an input signal corresponding to the operation is sent to the control device. In addition, in this embodiment, a touch panel may be integrally provided on the surface of the display unit 72, in which case the user can perform various inputs, settings, etc. by touching the touch panel.

[0030] The operation unit 71 for performing various input, setting and other operations is not limited to operation buttons or a touch panel. For example, a keyboard, a pointing device or the like may be provided as the operation unit 71 .

[0031] In the present embodiment, when the user operates the operation unit 71 , various instructions such as starting printing are output from the terminal device 7 to the printing device 1 , and the terminal device 7 also functions as an operation unit for the printing device 1 .

[0032] Furthermore, the user can select a nail design to be printed on the nail T by operating the operation unit 71 .

[0033] The display unit 72 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescent display, or other flat panel display.

[0034] In addition, as described above, a touch panel for performing various inputs may be integrally formed on the surface of the display unit 72. In this case, the touch panel functions as the operation unit 71.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the display unit 72 can display a nail design input and selected by the user through the operation unit 71 , various guidance screens, a warning display screen, and the like.

[0036] In addition, in the present embodiment, the image of the nail T of the finger U photographed by the photographing unit 5 of the printing device 1 (the image of the finger U including the nail T, hereinafter referred to as the "nail image") is displayed on the display unit 72. In addition, in the present embodiment, the photographing unit 5 can obtain an upper surface image P1 photographing the upper surface of the nail T and a side image P2 photographing the side of the nail T. As nail images, the "nail image" displayed on the display unit 72 includes the upper surface image P1 and the side image P2. The display unit 72 displays a nail image display screen 72a (refer to Figure 4 ).

[0037] Furthermore, the display unit 72 can display not only still images but also moving images such as live view images.

[0038] In this embodiment, the printing device 1 includes: a housing 11 formed in a substantially box shape; a photographing unit 5, a finger holding unit 2 (finger placement unit), etc., which are accommodated in the housing 11. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the printing device 1 is also provided with a printing unit that prints on a printing object (a fingernail T of U in this embodiment), a communication unit that communicates with a terminal device 7, etc., and a control device that controls each unit of the device.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, an operation unit 12 is provided on the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 11 .

[0040] The operation unit 12 is used by the user to perform various inputs.

[0041] The operation unit 12 includes operation keys for performing various inputs, such as a power switch key for turning on the power of the printing device 1 , a stop switch key for stopping the operation, and a print start key for instructing to start printing.

[0042] When the operation unit 12 is operated, an operation signal is output to a control device (not shown), and the control device performs control in accordance with the operation signal to operate each unit of the printing device 1 .

[0043] In addition, instead of the operation unit 12 , each unit of the printing device 1 may operate according to an operation signal input from the operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7 .

[0044] Furthermore, the imaging unit 5 is provided inside the upper surface (top plate) of the housing 11 .

[0045] The imaging unit 5 is provided with an imaging device and an illumination device (not shown). The imaging unit 5 is mounted on a substrate 53 and installed in the housing 11 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 ).

[0046] The imaging device is, for example, a small video camera having a solid-state imaging element with more than 2 million pixels, a lens, etc. The lighting device is, for example, a lighting lamp such as a white LED.

[0047] In the imaging unit 5, the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 2 described later is illuminated by the lighting device. Then, the finger U is photographed by the imaging device to obtain an image of the nail T of the finger U, that is, a nail image (an image of the finger U including the nail T). The imaging unit 5 is an imaging unit that obtains the image of the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 2.

[0048] The imaging unit 5 may be disposed at a position where it can image the finger U held by the finger holding unit 2, and the specific configuration is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the imaging unit 5 is fixedly disposed at a position on the inner side of the top surface of the housing 11 and can be opposed to the nail T (the surface of the nail T) of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 2. In this case, the imaging unit 5 is preferably located at a position where it cannot directly image the recognition unit 27 described later.

[0049] In addition, the imaging unit 5 may be configured to be movable in the XY directions by various moving mechanisms.

[0050] As described later, the imaging unit 5 can obtain an image (referred to as a “side image P2 ”) of the nail T placed on a nail stage 25 described later, taken from a lateral direction (a second direction).

[0051] Since the camera unit 5 of this embodiment is disposed inside the top surface of the housing 11 and at a position facing the nail T (the surface of the nail T) of the finger U held in the finger holding portion 2 as described above, it is possible to obtain an image of the nail T placed on the nail stage 25 from the upper direction (first direction) (hereinafter referred to as "upper surface image P1"). Furthermore, as described later, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with an optical element (in this embodiment, the mirror 18) that can contain the image of the nail T of the finger U held in the finger holding portion 2 from the upper direction and the lateral direction within the photographable range of the camera unit 5. Thus, the camera unit 5 can also obtain the image of the nail T from the lateral direction (the side image P2) via the optical element (in this embodiment, the mirror 18). In addition, for example, the camera unit 5 can be disposed on the side of the device, in which case, it is also possible to directly obtain the image of the nail T from the lateral direction (the side image P2), and obtain the image of the nail T from the upper direction (the upper surface image P1) via the optical element (in this embodiment, the mirror 18).

[0052] The image capturing unit 5 may capture a still image, or may capture a moving image that can be displayed in real time on the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7 or the like.

[0053] The nail image acquired by the imaging unit 5 is sent to the terminal device 7 via a communication unit (not shown).

[0054] Furthermore, the image data of the image captured by the image capturing unit 5 may be acquired by the control device of the printing device 1 or the like, and stored in a storage unit provided inside or outside the device.

[0055] On the front side of the housing 11 of the printing device 1 ( Figure 1 An opening portion (on the front side in the Y direction) through which a finger is inserted when the printing device 1 is printing, that is, a finger insertion port 15 is formed.

[0056] The inside of the finger insertion port 15 serves as a finger holding portion 2 for placing and holding a finger U inserted during printing. The finger holding portion 2 holds a finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed.

[0057] The interior of the housing 11 is divided into two parts, one above and the other below, by a partition plate 16. The finger holding portion 2 is provided at a position corresponding to the finger insertion opening 15 in the partition plate 16 (in the present embodiment, the left-right direction of the device ( Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 The approximate center of the X direction).

[0058] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing the main structure of the inside of the housing, the finger holding portion, and its surroundings. Figure 3 From the left side of the device ( Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the main parts of the finger retaining portion and its surroundings as viewed from an oblique upper direction (left side in the X direction).

[0059] like Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, a finger support member 21 for receiving the pad of the held finger U is provided on the lower side of the finger holding portion 2 .

[0060] The finger support member 21 supports the finger U by pushing it up from the bottom, and is formed of, for example, a flexible resin. In addition, the structure of the finger support member 21 is not particularly limited as long as it can support the finger U from the bottom. For example, a force can be applied from below by an elastic member such as a spring. In addition, for example, the finger support member 21 is configured to expand and contract by changing the internal pressure, and is configured to push the finger U up and fix its position in the expanded state. In addition, for example, as long as the finger U can be placed, it does not need to be able to move up and down. In this case, the finger support member 21 may not be an independent member, but may be integrated with other members in the finger holding portion.

[0061] Refers to the front side of the holding part 2 ( Figure 1 The front side in the Y direction in FIG. 2 is surrounded by a frame-shaped portion 24, and the top surface of the frame-shaped portion 24 contacts the upper side of the finger U held in the finger holding portion 2, thereby forming a finger pressure 241 that constrains the position of the finger U in the upward direction.

[0062] For the back side of the finger holding portion 2 ( Figure 1The back side in the Y direction in FIG. 2 is open at the top, and the surface of the nail T of the finger U inserted into the finger holding portion 2 is exposed.

[0063] In addition, the finger holding part 2 has a nail support 25 on which the tip of the nail T is placed. Specifically, the nail support 25 on which the tip of the nail T of the finger U is placed is provided inside the finger holding part 2 of the present embodiment, on the back side in the finger insertion direction. In the present embodiment, the nail support 25 is a convex strip extending along the insertion direction of the finger U and bulging in a semi-cylindrical shape. In addition, the nail support 25 can be any shape, configuration, etc. as long as the tip of the nail T can be placed, and its shape, configuration, etc. are not limited to the example shown in the figure.

[0064] The finger U and its nail T are supported from the bottom by the finger support member 21 in a state where the tip of the nail T is placed on the nail support 25, and the upper side of the finger U is positioned at a given position by being pressed by the finger pressing portion 241. The finger pressing portion 241 is not an essential structure, and it is sufficient as long as the tip of the nail T can be placed on the nail support 25.

[0065] In the present embodiment, a target mark 251 serving as an indicator of the contact position of the fingertip is provided on the end surface on the front side of the nail carrier 25. The target mark 251 serves as a target when the user inserts the finger U into the finger holding portion 2, and its shape and the like are not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, for example, a circular mark such as red is provided as the target mark 251. The target mark 251 can be implemented by printing, or can be obtained by attaching a label or the like. In addition, in order to facilitate identification on the image, the target mark 251 can also be a mark attached to a reflective plate that reflects light, a mark drawn with fluorescent ink, etc. In addition, it is not necessary to be captured in the image, and for example, it can also be a convex part, a concave part, etc. that can be felt by the fingertip when touching.

[0066] The target mark 251 is photographed from above and the upper surface image P1 of the finger holding portion 2 is photographed (reference Figure 4 ), if the finger U is inserted to the correct position on the back side of the finger holding portion 2, it is covered by the finger U and is no longer captured in the image. Thus, when the user inserts the finger U while looking at the image, the insertion status of the finger U can be confirmed by confirming the appearance of the target mark 251 (based on the blocking status of the finger U).

[0067] In this embodiment, a recognition unit 27 for the position of the nail T is provided on the side surface of the nail stage 25. The recognition unit 27 can be distinguished from the parts of the finger holding unit 2 and the nail T, and serves as a reference for the position of the nail T.

[0068] As will be described later, the recognition unit 27 is provided on the side of the nail stage 25 and is not captured by the upper surface image P1 (refer to Figure 4 )(There is no recognition unit 27 in P1), but the side image P2 is captured (reference Figure 4) (with identification unit 27 in P2) position. In addition, in the present embodiment, the identification unit 27 is provided on the side of the nail carrier 25, but the identification unit 27 only needs to be provided on one side of the nail carrier 25, and is not limited to the side of the nail carrier 25, and may also be provided on the back of the nail carrier 25.

[0069] In the present embodiment, as described above, the nail carrier 25 is a semi-cylindrical convex portion, and the nail carrier 25 has a width direction ( Figure 1 A notch 253 having a wall surface 252 substantially perpendicular to the XY plane (horizontal plane) is provided on either side (the left side in the X direction in the example in the figure) of the approximately central portion of the device width direction (X) and the identification portion 27 is formed by applying a red or other color to the wall surface 252. In addition, the method of implementing the identification portion 27 is not particularly limited, and in addition to various printing, painting, and vapor deposition, it can also be formed by pasting a label or the like.

[0070] In this way, by forming the identification portion 27 on the wall surface 252 substantially perpendicular to the XY plane, when the upper surface image P1 of the upper surface of the nail stage 25 is photographed, the notch portion 253 is photographed, but the identification portion 27 formed on the wall surface 252 is not photographed. In addition, when the side surface image P2 of the side surface of the nail stage 25 is photographed, the identification portion 27 formed on the wall surface 252 is photographed together with the notch portion 253 (see the following description). Figure 4 ). In the present embodiment, by providing such an identification unit 27 on the nail carrier 25, the height direction position of the nail T can be detected, and the identification unit 27 becomes a reference for the height direction position of the nail T. In addition, for example, by providing a scale indicating the position in the depth direction (referring to the insertion direction) on the identification unit 27, the identification unit 27 can be used as a reference for the depth direction position of the nail T.

[0071] In addition, the wall surface 252 formed with the identification portion 27 can be configured so that the identification portion 27 is captured in the side image P2 but not in the upper surface image P1, and is not limited to being substantially perpendicular to the XY plane (horizontal plane). For example, the angle θ formed by the wall surface 252 relative to the bottom surface (i.e., horizontal plane) of the notch portion 253 can also be less than 90 degrees. In this case, since the identification portion 27 can be more reliably prevented from being captured in the upper surface image P1, the nail T can be recognized more accurately.

[0072] In this embodiment, a support stand 17 having an inclined surface 171 having a predetermined angle is provided on the side of the finger holder 2 where the notch 253 is provided (in the example of the figure, on the left side of the finger holder 2 in the X direction). A mirror 18 is mounted on the inclined surface 171 .

[0073] The side where the cutout 253 is provided is not limited to the illustrated example. When the cutout 253 is provided on the right side of the finger holding unit 2 in the X direction, the support table 17 and the mirror 18 are also arranged on the right side of the finger holding unit 2 in the X direction.

[0074] In addition, the shape of the support stand 17 and the like are not limited to the illustrated example.

[0075] The mirror 18 is an optical element that enables the photographing unit, i.e., the photographing section 5, to photograph the images of the nail T of the finger U held on the finger holding section 2 from the upper direction and the lateral direction (i.e., the upper surface image P1 and the side surface image P2). That is, the photographing section 5 of the present embodiment is disposed above the finger holding section 2, and can bring the upper surface of the nail T within the photographable range of the photographing section 5. Then, by providing the mirror 18, the side surface of the nail T of the finger U held on the finger holding section 2 can be brought within the photographable range of the photographing section 5 via the mirror 18. In addition, in the case where the photographing section 5 is disposed on the side of the finger holding section 2, the mirror is configured at a position where the upper surface of the nail T can be brought within the photographable range of the photographing section 5.

[0076] In the example of this embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, a rectangular mirror 18 is provided.

[0077] The given angle of the inclined surface 171 is appropriately adjusted according to the installation position of the mirror 18, the nail stage 25, and the position and angle of the nail T whose front end is placed on the nail stage 25. By adjusting the inclined surface 171 to a suitable inclination angle, the side image P2 of the nail T obtained through the optical element, that is, the mirror 18, can be obtained by the aforementioned imaging unit 5.

[0078] The mirror 18 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as acrylic resin as a base material. The material of the mirror 18 is not particularly limited, and for example, a glass mirror such as glass as a base material may be used. The mirror 18 is not limited to a plate shape, and a thin sheet-shaped mirror may be pasted on the inclined surface 171.

[0079] The inside of the housing 11 of the printing device 1 is dark, and in order to make it easy to identify the area of ​​the nail T based on the nail image (upper surface image P1) taken from the upper side, the finger holding part 2 (nail carrier 25 and its surroundings) is formed of black, etc., which is easy to distinguish from the skin of the nail T and the finger U.

[0080] Therefore, when the nail stage 25 is photographed from the side, the nail stage 25 is confused with other backgrounds, and the height position of the nail stage 25 cannot be correctly recognized. In this case, although the nail T and the finger U placed on the nail stage 25 are photographed in a state that is easy to identify against the dark background, elements that serve as a reference for the height position of the nail T, such as the position of the upper end surface of the nail stage 25, become unclear. Therefore, even if the side image P2 obtained by photographing the nail stage 25 from the side (lateral direction) is obtained, it is impossible to confirm whether the nail T is arranged at an appropriate position (especially the position in the height direction).

[0081] In this regard, in the present embodiment, the nail stage 25 is provided with an identification portion 27 that can be distinguished from the various parts of the finger holder 2 and the nail T and serves as a reference for the height direction position of the nail T. Since the identification portion 27 serves as a reference for the height position of the nail T when performing image processing such as image analysis and image recognition on the captured image, it is preferably formed by applying a color that is easy to identify relative to the various parts of the finger holder 2 and the nail T. For this reason, the color of the identification portion 27 is preferably a light blue color that is a complementary color (opposite color) of the skin color of the nail T and the finger U, and a color that is greatly different from the black color used in the finger holder 2, etc., in addition to the red color in the above example, and a bright light blue color is suitable. In addition, the color of the identification portion 27 is not limited to the color exemplified here. An appropriate color is used appropriately according to the brightness condition in the housing 11 of the printing device 1, the color of the components, etc. The color of the identification portion 27 can be, for example, a fluorescent color.

[0082] Next, the operation of the printing device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0083] When performing nail printing using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the user turns on the power of the printing device 1 to start the device. The user also turns on the power of the terminal device 7 and selects execution of the nail printing process from the operation unit 71 of the terminal device 7. This starts an application program (not shown) for performing nail printing.

[0084] The user selects a nail design that he wishes to print on the nail T, and inserts the finger U corresponding to the nail T to be printed into the finger holding portion 2 .

[0085] When the finger U is inserted into the finger holding unit 2, it is preferably photographed by the photographing unit 5 at any time, transmitted to the terminal device 7, and displayed as a live view image on the display unit 72. Thus, the user can check the arrangement of the finger U in real time by observing the display unit 72.

[0086] After the user inserts the finger U into the finger holding portion 2 until the position where the target mark 251 is blocked and the nail tip is placed on the nail support 25, the photographing unit 5 photographs the finger U placed on the finger holding portion 2 to obtain a nail image. The obtained nail image is sent to the terminal device 7 via the communication unit and is appropriately displayed on the display unit 72 of the terminal device 7.

[0087] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a nail image display screen displayed on the display unit.

[0088] exist Figure 4 , an example is shown in which the upper surface image P1 and the side surface image P2 are displayed side by side on one screen as the nail image display screen 72 a .

[0089] exist Figure 4 In the upper surface image P1 shown on the right side of , the finger U including the nail T with the nail tip placed on the nail carrier 25 and the upper surface of the finger holding portion 2 are captured, and the notch portion 253 of the nail carrier 25 is also captured, but the identification portion 27 provided on the wall surface 252 is not captured.

[0090] The upper surface image P1 is subjected to image analysis and image processing to detect the area of ​​the nail T (the outline of the nail T). If the recognition portion 27 of a color (e.g., red, light blue, etc.) different from the color (e.g., black, etc.) inside the finger holder 2 is captured in the image, it will be difficult to correctly detect the area of ​​the nail T (the outline of the nail T). In this regard, in the present embodiment, since the recognition portion 27 is not captured in the upper surface image P1 used for the area detection of the nail T, image recognition can be performed well.

[0091] on the other hand, Figure 4 The side image P2 shown on the left side of the image is an image obtained by the imaging unit 5 via the mirror 18, and also captures the finger U including the nail T with the nail tip placed on the nail stage 25, the side of the finger holding unit 2, and the notch 253 of the nail stage 25 and the recognition unit 27 provided on the wall surface 252 of the notch 253. Therefore, the upper end position of the nail stage 25 and the relationship between the upper end position and the height position of the nail T can be accurately detected from the nail image (side image P2).

[0092] Figure 4 The reference line h1 shown in the side image P2 is the height position of the upper end of the nail carrier 25, and is a line indicating the upper end position of the identification unit 27. The reference line h2 is a line indicating the height position of the highest part (the most bulging part in the case of bulging) of the nail T. In addition, the reference line h3 is a line indicating the upper limit of the height position of the nail T, and is set, for example, about 3 mm above the reference line h1.

[0093] The reference lines h1 to h3 are appropriately generated by the application program of the terminal device 7 and synthesized (overlapped) and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72 (in this embodiment, Figure 4 The reference lines h1 to h3 are imaginary lines of the side image in the nail image display screen 72a shown in FIG. 1 . It is not necessary to display the reference lines h1 to h3. The reference lines h1 to h3 may not be displayed on the display screen, but may be lines used only imaginarily in the recognition process in the device.

[0094] When the height position of the nail T exceeds the reference line h3, the display unit 72 is set to be unable to print, etc., and an error message is displayed, or as a notification unit, a notification is made through the light emitted by a lamp or a light-emitting body, the sound of a speaker or a buzzer, etc., thereby notifying the user that the height position of the nail T is inappropriate. In addition, when the height position of the nail T is lower than the reference line h1, it is considered that the nail T is not correctly placed on the nail carrier 25. Therefore, in this case, the display unit 72 is also made to display an error display, or a notification is made through the light emitted by a lamp or a light-emitting body, the sound of a speaker or a buzzer, etc., thereby notifying the user that the height position of the nail T is inappropriate. That is, the display unit 72 also functions as a notification unit.

[0095] When the height position of the nail T is not appropriate, the display unit 72 may further display a message urging adjustment of the position of the nail T, such as “Please lower the height of the nail.” or “Please place the nail tip on the nail stand.”

[0096] It is not necessary to display an error message or the like when the position of the nail T is not appropriate, or to display a message prompting adjustment of the position of the nail T. For example, the user may check the nail image display screen 72a of the display unit 72, and correct the position by himself if it is determined that the position of the nail T is not appropriate.

[0097] The reference line h2 indicating the highest part of the nail T is located between the reference lines h1 to h3 ( Figure 4 When the height position of the nail T is detected to be within the range indicated by "α (appropriate range)", it is appropriate, and when it is detected that the height position of the nail T is within the range, printing is possible. In this case, the notification unit can notify the user by displaying a message indicating that the nail position is appropriate on the display unit 72, or by light emitted by a lamp or a light source, or by sound emitted by a speaker or a buzzer.

[0098] When the nail T is positioned appropriately, the nail region is detected to determine the printing area, and printing data for printing the nail design in the area is generated and output to the printing unit of the printing device 1. Thus, the desired nail design is printed on the surface of the nail T.

[0099] By placing the nail T at the correct height, high-definition nail printing can be performed safely.

[0100] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the printing device 1 comprises: a finger holding unit 2 for holding a finger U corresponding to a printing object, i.e., a nail T; and a photographing unit 5 for acquiring an image of the nail T of the finger U held in the finger holding unit 2, the finger holding unit 2 having a nail stage 25 for placing the front end portion of the nail T, the photographing unit 5 being able to acquire a lateral image (side image P2) of the nail T placed on the nail stage 25, and an identification unit 27 for identifying the position of the nail T being provided on the side of the nail stage 25.

[0101] With such a configuration, the position of the nail T can be easily confirmed using the side image P2, and whether the placement of the nail T is appropriate can be accurately determined.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the recognition unit 27 distinguishable from the parts of the finger holding unit 2 and the nail T is provided at a position not captured in the upper surface image P1 of the nail T but captured in the side surface image P2 .

[0103] Thus, in the upper surface image P1 of the nail T used to detect the area of ​​the nail T (the outline of the nail T), the finger holding portion formed of a color (black, etc.) with good contrast with the nail T and the finger U is captured, but the identification portion 27 formed of a color different from it (for example, red, light blue, etc.) is not captured. Therefore, the detection of the area of ​​the nail T (the outline of the nail T) is not hindered by the identification portion 27, and both the height direction position of the nail T and the outline shape of the nail T can be correctly recognized.

[0104] As a result, high-definition nail printing can be performed in an appropriate area of ​​the nail T.

[0105] In addition, in the present embodiment, a mirror 18 made of synthetic resin is provided as an optical element.

[0106] Therefore, the present structure can be obtained at a relatively low cost. In addition, when the mirror 18 is made of synthetic resin, it can be easily processed according to the shape of the place to be arranged. Furthermore, since it is lighter than a glass mirror, it can be easily fixed to the inclined surface 171. In addition, the synthetic resin mirror is more difficult to break than the glass mirror, and can avoid damage when a strong impact is applied to the printing device 1, thereby improving safety.

[0107] Furthermore, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0108] For example, in this embodiment, although the printing device 1 includes an imaging unit, namely, an imaging unit 5, and by configuring a mirror 18 as an optical element, the imaging unit 5 can obtain a side image of the nail T from the side through the mirror 18, the structure of the imaging unit 5 is not limited to the example shown here.

[0109] For example, a plurality of photographing units (photographing sections) may be provided in the printing device 1. In this case, the photographing units (photographing sections) include: a first photographing unit for obtaining an image of the nail T placed on the nail carrier 25 from an upper direction (upper surface image P1); and a second photographing unit for obtaining an image of the nail T placed on the nail carrier 25 from a lateral direction (side image P2).

[0110] In this case, the first imaging unit for obtaining the upper surface image P1 of the nail T is set on the inner side of the top surface of the housing 11, and the second imaging unit for obtaining the side image P2 of the nail T is arranged on the side of the notch 253 in the nail carrier 25, such as the position where the mirror 18 is arranged in the present embodiment.

[0111] In addition, the number of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit is not limited to one, and a plurality of each may be provided.

[0112] In this way, when the first shooting unit for obtaining the upper surface image P1 and the second shooting unit for obtaining the side image P2 are provided, it is not necessary to provide an optical element such as the mirror 18. For this reason, it is not necessary to adjust the angle and position of the optical element such as the mirror 18 so that the side of the nail T is within the shooting range of the shooting unit (shooting unit), which can save the work of assembly. In addition, by providing a plurality of shooting units in this way to shoot the upper surface image P1 and the side image P2, the upper surface image P1 and the side image P2 can be obtained at the same time without using an optical element such as the mirror 18. For this reason, there will be no distortion of the image caused by the presence of an optical element, and a clearer nail image (especially the side image P2) can be obtained.

[0113] The position where the second imaging unit that acquires the side image P2 is disposed is not particularly limited as long as it is a position where the side image P2 can be captured.

[0114] The second imaging unit needs to be arranged at a position that does not hinder the movement of the printing head of the printing unit. In addition, unlike the case where the imaging unit (imaging unit) is arranged on the upper side of the printing device, when it is arranged on the side of the finger holding unit 2, there is a problem that the ink (ink spray, etc.) scattered from the printing unit may adhere to the lens, etc. For this reason, an eaves, a curtain, etc. are provided to protect the imaging unit (imaging unit), especially the lens part, from the influence of ink spray, etc.

[0115] In addition, the shape of the mirror as the optical element is not limited to the shape shown in this embodiment.

[0116] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the mirror is a special-shaped mirror 181 having a stepped portion 181a having a plurality of steps in the height direction at the upper portion.

[0117] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated example, the mirror 181 is provided with a three-step step portion 181 a which gradually becomes higher from the base direction of the finger U toward the nail tip direction.

[0118] In the imagination Figure 5 In the case where there are reference lines h4 indicating the height position of the lowest step 181a, h6 indicating the height position of the highest step 181a, and h5 indicating the height position of the intermediate step 181a, the highest part of the nail T is located between the reference lines h4 and h5 ( Figure 5 In the case of the range indicated by "α (appropriate range)" in the figure), it is appropriate, and in the case of being lower or higher than this range, the user is urged to adjust the position of the nail T. In addition, the reference line h6 represents the upper limit position of the entire nail T and finger U that can be reflected in the mirror.

[0119] In addition, when the mirror is made into a special shape, the specific shape is not limited to Figure 5 Example shown.

[0120] In addition, the reference lines h4 to h6 are virtual lines that are appropriately generated and synthesized by the application of the terminal device 7 and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 72 (in this embodiment, the side image in the nail image display screen 72a) in the same manner as the reference lines h1 to h3 described in the embodiment. The reference lines h4 to h6 may also be lines that are not displayed on the display screen and are used only virtually in the recognition process within the device.

[0121] Thus, by making the shape of the mirror 181 irregular, the height position of the nail T can be easily detected from the side image P2. In addition, when the shape of the mirror 181 is irregular, by making the mirror 181 made of synthetic resin such as acrylic resin, it is easier to form a complex shape than when it is formed of glass.

[0122] In addition, for example, Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , a mark indicating a reference of the height position of the nail T (hereinafter referred to as a “reference mark 183”) is provided on the mirror 182. The setting method and arrangement of the reference mark 183 are not particularly limited. Figure 6 2 shows an example in which two circular holes, namely, reference marks 183, are bored in the mirror 182.

[0123] For example, assuming that a reference line h7 tangent to the upper end of the lower circular hole and a reference line h8 tangent to the upper end of the upper circular hole are provided, the highest part of the nail T is located between the reference line h7 and the reference line h8 ( Figure 6 In the case where the value is within the range indicated by “α (appropriate range)” in FIG. 1 ), it is appropriate. In the case where the value is lower than or higher than the range, the user is prompted to adjust the position of the nail T.

[0124] In addition, the reference lines h7 and h8, like the reference lines h1 to h3 described in the embodiment and the reference lines h4 to h6 described above, are virtual lines that are appropriately generated and synthesized by the application of the terminal device 7 and displayed on the display screen (in this embodiment, the side image in the nail image display screen 72a) of the display unit 72. The reference lines h7 and h8 may also be lines that are not displayed on the display screen and are used only virtually in the recognition process within the device.

[0125] Thus, by providing the reference mark 183 on the mirror 182, the height position of the nail T can be easily detected from the side image P2. In addition, when the reference mark 183 is provided on the mirror 182 in this way, by making the mirror 182 made of synthetic resin such as acrylic resin, it is easier to form a complex shape than when it is formed of glass.

[0126] In addition, the number and shape of reference marks 183 are not particularly limited.

[0127] For example, reference mark 183 may be a slit formed at a position corresponding to reference line h7 and reference line h8. Reference mark 183 may also be a circular hole with a size such that the lower end is located at the height of reference line h7 and the upper end is located at the height of reference line h8.

[0128] In addition, you can also Figure 5 The special-shaped mirror shown is set together Figure 6 In this case, it is further easy to know the reference of the height position of the nail T.

[0129] in addition, Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 Although not shown in the figure, in the image reflected on the mirrors 181 and 182, the recognition unit 27 provided on the nail stage 25 is captured together with the nail T, similarly to the mirror 18 described in the embodiment.

[0130] By combining the recognition portion 27 with the irregular-shaped mirror 181 and the mirror 182 provided with the reference mark 183, the reference of the height position of the nail T can be easily known, and detection can be performed more accurately.

[0131] In the present embodiment, the identification portion 27 is formed by painting the entire wall surface 171 with red, light blue, or the like. However, the identification portion 27 is not limited to being provided on the entire wall surface 171 .

[0132] The recognition unit 27 may be any unit that can easily detect the position of the upper end of the nail support 25 when image processing is performed on the side image P2. For this purpose, for example, a line painted in red or the like on the upper end of the wall surface 171 or a circular mark painted in red or the like on the upper end of the wall surface 171 may be used.

[0133] In the present embodiment, the mirror 18 is provided as an optical element. However, the optical element is not limited to a mirror as long as it can bring the side surface of the nail T of the finger U held by the finger holding unit 2 within the imageable range of the image capturing unit 5 .

[0134] For example, a prism or the like is arranged as the optical element. In this case, the arrangement, angle, etc. thereof are adjusted so that the side surface of the nail T falls within the imageable range of the imaging unit 5 .

[0135] In addition, in this embodiment, if Figure 4 As illustrated, the case where the upper surface image P1 and the side surface image P2 are displayed side by side in one screen as the nail image display screen 72 a is illustrated, but the display on the nail image display screen 72 a is not limited to this.

[0136] For example, either the upper surface image P1 or the side surface image P2 may be displayed on one screen as the nail image display screen 72 a , and the two images may be switched as appropriate.

[0137] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the display unit 72 that displays the nail image display screen 72 a and the like is provided in the terminal device 7 is exemplified, but the display unit 72 is not limited to the case where it is provided in the terminal device 7 .

[0138] For example, a display unit may be provided on the upper surface of the housing 11 of the printing device 1 , and the nail image display screen 72 a or the like may be displayed there.

[0139] In addition, it is not necessary to display the upper surface image P1 and the side image P2 as the nail image display screen 72a. The upper surface image P1 and the side image P2 may be used only in image processing when recognizing the nail T (recognizing the area of ​​the nail T, the height position of the nail T, etc.) on the device side, and may not be particularly displayed.

[0140] In the present embodiment, the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 cooperate to perform various processes of nail printing, but the printing device 1 and the terminal device 7 do not necessarily have to cooperate. The printing device 1 alone may perform various processes.

[0141] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.

Claims

1. A printing device, characterized in that: have: a finger placement section having a nail placement table on which a tip portion of a nail to be printed is placed and on which a finger corresponding to the nail is placed; A photographing unit, which obtains an image from the upper direction of the nail and an image from the lateral direction of the nail; an optical element provided at a position where the imaging unit can capture an image from the upper direction of the nail and an image from the lateral direction of the nail, and forming a reference mark indicating a reference of a height position of the nail; and Control Department, The control unit determines that the position of the nail is appropriate when a predetermined portion of the nail is within a range set by the reference mark in the image from the lateral direction of the nail. When a predetermined portion of the nail does not fall within a range set by the reference mark, it is determined that the position of the nail is inappropriate.

2. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The angle formed by the side surface of the nail support with respect to the horizontal plane is less than 90 degrees.

3. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The angle formed by the side surface of the nail support with respect to the horizontal plane is less than 90 degrees.

4. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The photographing unit detects the height direction position of the nail.

5. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The printing device further comprises: a display unit, The display unit displays an image from the lateral direction of the nail and a reference line indicating a reference of a position of the nail in the height direction so as to overlap.

6. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The printing device further comprises: a notification unit, The notification unit notifies that printing is possible when the position of the nail in the height direction is within an appropriate range, and notifies that printing is impossible when the position of the nail in the height direction is outside the appropriate range.

7. The printing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical element is a mirror.

8. The printing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mirror has a shape having a plurality of stepped portions.

Images